Opinions

Course programme

Part – IPaper – I Political Theory1. The meaning of Political Theory : Present state of Political Theory.2. Different approaches : (a) Traditional, (b) Marxist and (c) Behavioural with special reference to David Easton’s system analysis.3. The concept of State Sovereignty : (a) Monistic, (b) Pluralistic and (c) Popular.4. Rights, Liberty and Equality : Meaning and their inter-relationship. Rawl’s concept of Justice.5. Ideology : Meaning and its variants- (a) Anarchism, (b) Fascism and (c) Liberalism and Neo-liberalism.6. Socialism- its variants : (a) Utopian, (b) Scientific and (c) Democratic(basic tenets).7. Theories of the State : (a) Idealist, (b) Marxist and (c) Gandhian.8. Concept of hegemony in Gramsci.9. Concept of Democracy : Liberal and Marxist.10. Concept of Political Change : Liberal and Marxist.

PAPER – II WESTERN POLITICAL THOUGHT1. General Features of Greek Political Thought. Sophists and Plato : Justice. Aristotle : The State and its Constitutions.2. Roman Political Thought : General features with special reference to Citizenship and Law.3. Mediaeval Political Thought : Church vs State (with reference to St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and Marsiglio of Padua).4. Renaissance and Machiavelli : His Concept of Power and Secularization of Politics.5. Bodin and Hobbes : Concept of Sovereignty.6. Locke : Foundations of Liberalism : Natural Rights and Limited Government, J.S.Mill : Utilitarianism.7. Rousseau : General Will.8. Hegel : State.9. Marx and Engels : Historical Materialism. Lenin : Imperialism.10. Isaiah Berlin : Liberty.

PART –IIPAPER – III GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN INDIA1. The Constituent Assembly – its character. The Making of the Indian Constitution.2. The Preamble and its significance.3. Fundamental Rights and Duties: Directive Principles of State Policy. Special Provisions for S. C. and S.T.4. Nature of Federalism : Union – State Relations (Legislative, Administrative and Financial), Recent trends. Reorganisation of states.5. Union Legislature : Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha- organization, functions, and Law-making procedure : Speaker : Procedure of Constitutional Amendment.6. Union Executive : President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers. Emergency Powers of the Indian President.7. Government in the State : Governor, Chief Minister, and the Council of Ministers. State Legislatures : composition and functions.8. Judiciary : Supreme Court and the High Courts : Composition and functions –Judicial Activism.9. Party System in India : features and trends : Political Parties in West Bengal.10. Electoral Process : Election Commission

PAPER – IV COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS1. Comparative Government and Politics as a Field Study : Methodology and Objectives.2. Conventions and Rule of Law in U.K., Administrative Law(Droit Administratif) in France.3. Federal and Unitary Systems : Federalism in U.S.A. Nature of Unitarianism in France and U.K.4. Parliamentary and Presidential Systems : Systemic Similarities and Dissimilarities between British, French and American Systems.5. Party Systems in U.K., U.S.A. France and P.R.C. Role of Pressure Groups in U.K. and U.S.A.6. Legislatures in U.K., U.S.A , France and P.R.C. : composition and functions of the Legislative Chambers, Inter-chamber comparisons. The Committee Systems in U.K. and U.S.A.7. The British Crown, the French and American Presidents as heads of their respective States and Governments. The Presidency in U.S.A. France and P.R.C.8. The Prime Ministers of U.K. France and P.R.C. The British Cabinet System, French and American counterparts , Relation between the Executive and the Legislature in U.K., U.S.A., France and P.R.C.9. Judicial System : Structure and functions in U.K., U.S.A. France and P.R.C. Judicial Review in U.S.A. ; Procuratorial System in P.R.C10. Rights and Duties of the Citizens : Bill of Rights in U.S.A. The Rights and Duties of the Citizens of P.R.C.

PART – IIIPAPER –V INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS1. International Relations : Nature and Scope of International Relations, Approaches to the Study of International Relations : Realist and Systems.2. Actors of International Relations : State and Non-State Actors.3. National Power ; Concept, constituents and measurability.4. Balance of Power: Meaning, techniques and effectiveness; Concepts of bipolarity, unipolarity and multipolarity; Balance of Power vs. Collective Security5. Contemporary Issues : (A) Globalization, Human Rights and Global Terrorism : Meaning and impact on International Relations. (B) Human Right : Rights and Human Rights - Universal Declaration of Human Rights.6. United Nations : Its emergence; General Assembly and the Security Council; Secretariat; Political role of the Secretary General; Collective Security under the U.N. Charter; Pacific Settlement of Disputes under the U.N. Charter.7. Nuclear Arms Control : N.P.T. and C.T.B.T. : India’s Position.8. Political Economy of International Relations : Neo-colonialism : New International Economic Order; South- South Cooperation.9. Regional Cooperation : South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (S.A.A.R.C.)-objectives and problems.10. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy; India’s Foreign Policy : Basic tenets and recent developments.

1. Sociology, Sociology of Politics and Political Sociology.2. State and Civil Society : meaning and inter- relationship.3. Culture : meaning and nature; Political culture : meaning and components.4. Socialization : meaning and agencies; Political Socialization : nature and role.5. Social Stratification : Class, Caste and Power; Political significance of social stratification.6. Concepts of power and Authority; Types of authority.7. Feminism : meaning and significance; Gender Politics and its different facets.8. Politics, Environment and Human Rights : Environmental and Human Rights Movements in India.9. Religion in Society and politics . Concept of Secularism; Secularism and Communalism in India.10. Globalization and its components, Politics of ethnicity in the context of globalization.

PAPER – VII PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION1. Public Administration : Nature and Scope; Private and Public Administration; Evolution of Public Administration as discipline; Public Administration in the context of Globalization.2. Concepts and Principles of Administration : Hierarchy; Unity of Command; Span of Control; Line and Staff; Centralization. Decentralization and Delegation of Authority; Planning and Performance Budgeting.3. Bureaucracy : concept, nature and role; Generalist and Specialist.4. Development Administration : meaning and importance; Ecology and sustainable development : Riggsian model.5. All-India Services : I.A.S. : I.P.S. Central Services : I.F.S. – recruitment and training Union and State Public Service Commissions : composition, functions and role.6. Union Administration : P.M.O. Cabinet Secretary and the Secretariat; Relationship between the Secretariat and the Directorate.7. Administrative Reforms in India : Problems and Perspective.8. State Administration in West Bengal : Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner and District Magistrate.9. Local Administration in West Bengal : Panchayats with special reference to Zilla Parishads, Role of the Sabhadhipati, Municipalities and Corporations-legalinstitutional framework and role in development.10. Decentralisation : State, District and Block Level Planning.